Ryan is first ump inducted

By Mike Cioffi

Saturday, October 27, 2012

TROY-- Brendan Ryan has called balls and strikes on various baseball diamonds around the City of Troy since he was 17-years-old, and at 49, the lifelong Troy resident will be one of 25 area baseball standouts inducted into the second class of the Capital District Baseball Hall of Fame.

"It's a huge thrill, I'm very humbled," Ryan said of the honor, which will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy at 6 p.m. on Sunday. "Our organization has been around a long time, since 1945 and to be the first Capital District umpire every enshrined is a great honor," he added.

Once Ryan declared his youth baseball career over, he parlayed his admiration for the game into a lengthy umpiring career which has seen him suit up in an estimated 3,500 games over a span of 30 years.

"It has been a great ride," he said. "I love baseball, nobody sets out to become an umpire but after I was through playing I started umpiring and I've loved every year of it."

The Catholic Central graduate has no plans of hanging up the cleats, blue uniform, gray slacks and solid black hat anytime soon.

"I've been around for quite some time, I'm still pretty young so I'll have some years to go," he said.

Former umpire, Richie McDonald coaxed Ryan back onto the field the same season he stopped playing ball and was given an opportunity right away. His first assignor, Gerry Amyotte didn't waste any time.

"He took care of me, threw me right into the fire and I loved it right away, it was a way to stay involved in the game," Ryan said.

Ryan went onto umpire at just about every level, from little league to college. He fondly recalls being behind the plate for many rivalry games between Troy and CCHS, La Salle and Troy and Watervliet and Lansingburgh.

"The coaches are great, the coaches in Section II have been fantastic," Ryan said. "I've had some super relationships with coaches over the years, a lot of the coaches when I started are now retired," he added.

Ryan enters the Hall of Fame with some familiar faces. He umpired fellow inductee and CCHS graduate Joe Mahoney when the Baltimore Orioles farmhand was in little league.

"I know him as little Joe, he was always a great kid and he's done wonderful," Ryan said of Mahoney. "He's a Catholic High guy like me and it will be good to go in with a fellow Crusader."

Ryan has been on both sides of the plate, as an umpire and former coach of the Brunswick Buckeyes, who he led to the 2000 District 14 little league title. That same Brunswick team won two Upper New York baseball titles in four years in the late 2000's and were runners-up twice.

"As long as you're fair and firm, you're never going to make everybody happy being an umpire," he said. "There will always be somebody upset with you, its part of the job."